Build on teamwork to harness a wealth of skills and talents

Russell Bell PHOTO/FILE

Teamwork in business is crucial and I like how Andrew Carnegie puts it: "[It] is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments towards organisational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results."

Without teamwork, mankind would not have achieved the momentous things that it has and we wouldn't have the lives that we have today.

The most effective teams are the right mix of skills and the personality profiles. Management harnesses this mix in the right way to get results by knowing their team really well and assigning them the right roles.

If you test the profiles of your people, you might be surprised with the results. You might think you have an extrovert in your team when really they are an introvert, for example. The most cohesive teams have a balance of skills and talents, and diversity properly harnessed can be extremely powerful. So the lesson is not to have Dan Carter propping the scrum.

Great teams also have the opportunity to apply those skills and be creative, so it's important to allow your people the opportunity to grow and not force them into a box.

I recently had the opportunity to assist a client in Auckland with redesign of their operating structure and, following completion of the project, their effectiveness has increased dramatically and the "vibe" at work has improved tremendously. One of the things that we recognised early on was the power of teamwork, and the behaviours and norms in the organisation which were actively causing challenges and getting in the way of optimal performance.

Along the way, we determined that there was an employee engaging in the most damaging behaviour - of a passive/aggressive nature. Any initiative or improvement (and even simple instruction) was met with a smile and nod of the head and, once management was out of the room, it was followed quickly by sniping, cynicism and undermining. One day, I even copped it and had to let the person know (when he was in mid-rant) that I had returned to the room to get my computer, all the while the other party was doing all the "non verbals" he could muster to signal "Russell Bell is right behind you".

Invariably, you don't have to walk in on passive/aggressive types to know they exist, their body language gives them away. And like the diesel which recently entered the Raetihi water supply, they are poison to effective teams. The important thing is to recognise it for what it is and (to quote Tony Soprano) "nip it in the bud". You achieve this by fronting up to the behaviour and emphasising the positive aspects of your organisational culture, and set boundaries of what is and is not appropriate. There is also a place for profiling at recruitment stage, to ensure you are not consistently hiring passive/aggressive types.

Ironically, in this case the person became a key supporter of what we were doing after being "outed" and the benefits of the new structure and continuous improvement were quickly achieved.

Russell Bell's Zenith Solutions is a specialist Wanganui business advice and consultancy practice - 021 244 2421.